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Former England captain Ray Illingworth dies aged 89
Written by Sports Desk. Posted in Cricket. | 25 December 2021 | 794 Views
Tags: Cricket, England, Icc Test Championship, Yorkshire Carnegie

Former England captain Ray Illingworth has died at the age of 89.

The all-rounder played in 61 Tests between 1958 and 1973, taking 122 wickets and scoring two centuries.

Illingworth was captain on 31 occasions and won 12 of the Test matches he oversaw, including an away Ashes series against Australia in 1971-72.

A short statement from Yorkshire County Cricket Club, who he guided to three successive County titles form 1966, read: "We are deeply saddened to learn that Ray Illingworth has passed away.

"Our thoughts are with Ray’s family and the wider Yorkshire family who held Ray so dear to their hearts #OneRose."

Illingworth had been undergoing radiotherapy for esophageal cancer and earlier this year spoke of his support for assisted dying after his wife passed away from cancer.

"I don't want to have the last 12 months that my wife had," he said, in quotes reported by BBC Sport. "She had a terrible time going from hospital to hospital and in pain.

"I believe in assisted dying. The way my wife was, there was no pleasure in life in the last 12 months, and I don't see the point of living like that.

"But we don't have assisted dying in England yet, so you don't have the option do you? They are debating it and I think it will come eventually.

"A lot of doctors are against it, but if they had to live like my wife did in her last 12 months they might change their minds."